Why does branding matter so much to health, wellbeing and fitness brands?

December 18, 2017

With every business we work with, the one golden nugget of advice we always give is ‘branding is key’. We say it so often, it can sometimes feel like we’re just playing the same message out on repeat. Yet it’s something overlooked by a surprising number of businesses – especially in health, wellbeing and fitness.

If you think of any brand that you love, enjoy and feel loyalty towards, I can guarantee you there will no doubt be some kick-ass branding going on that is inspiring these feelings. From a memorable logo to iconic colours, unique imagery to an eye-catching website, engaging social media to consistent messaging, it all comes together over time to create a clear story.

“If you think of any brand that you love, enjoy and feel loyal towards, I can guarantee you there will no doubt be some kick-ass branding going on that is inspiring these feelings.”

With any business, your brand should be your ‘book’ and from cover to cover, it should make sense, no matter where someone picks it up and starts reading. In today’s fast-paced, no-nonsense, short-lived world, branding is crucial with consumers.

Why good branding matters?

Ultimately, it can help you to:

1. Clearly deliver your message to your customer

2. Become memorable and easily identifiable

3. Connect with your target audience on an emotional level

4. Motivate your buyer to work with you or buy from you

5. Create loyalty with your customer and repeat purchasing

6. Inspire your target audience to recommend to a friend

7. Drive your audience to see you as their sole service provider

8. Establish a unique personality for your brand

9. Help customers to identify with you

10. Build your network over multiple platforms

A brand can deliver true value

In short, a strong brand is invaluable. If you and another competitor had exactly the same product and were competing for the exact same customer, I can guarantee what would do the winning would be the branding, closely followed by the sales pitch. It is the foundations upon which the rest of your business hinges, and without it, you’re lacking that vital X Factor.

“Your branding is the foundations upon which the rest of your business hinges, and without it, you’re lacking that vital X Factor.”

Your branding should be strategic and carefully thought through. If it were Monopoly, you would not take £200 and pass ‘Go’ unless you had fully executed a brand strategy and knew exactly what your business identity was going to be.

You should be able to answer key questions, such as what is your purpose? What are the objectives of your branding and how does this connect with your marketing? How will you fulfil customer expectations? What is the lifetime experience of your brand for a customer? Will you be able to build up loyalty with your audience?

Branding checklist

There are some key points you should check off when signing off your branding:

– Firstly, does it make sense? In terms of how it looks, your messaging, in relation to your product, and the market it is in.

– Next, will people recognise it? Sometimes it is tempting to go for a colour that every other competitor is using, but this will lead to you blending into everyone else, with people asking ‘What’s different?’. Your branding should be memorable and unique.

– Does your branding match your product and your brand promise? Will people feel disappointed that what is within your brand doesn’t match up with how it is presented, or vice versa? Will they avoid your business based on its branding and miss out on a great thing?

– Is your branding reflective of the core values of your business?

– Can you tell a story with your branding that will help your marketing and PR efforts?

– Can you identify with your branding? Does it feel like it has the right tone, personality and ‘feel’ to it?

– Will your audience understand it without too much thought? It shouldn’t take a lot of concentration or effort. There should be an instant ‘ah-ha’ moment.